An itch I'm tryna reach

As I sit here fawning over episodes of old Gossip Girl (I blame Netflix) I realize I want so much more from life. So much more doesn't mean the life of a bored overly dramatic rich socialite. I am jealous over the fact that they live in New York & their continent hopping ways. Although after actually visiting New York this past summer I've realized much like the glamourized town of Los Angeles... New York doesn't look so romantic at the ground below. I still love it.. here's a secret my favorite scenes from Gossip Girl are the scenic shots of the city whether it be a sunrise or the city skyline. Where does this rant all lead too?

They say when you write ideas out you're more likely to accomplish them.

- Travel More: England, France, Switzerland, New Orleans, NYC, Boston, Chicago, Italy, Greece..... okay the list can go on and on.

- Start a business: My bf is really pushing me to chase this dream of mine

- Finish Furniture: I have a garage full of furniture to be sanded primed & paint. We've been sitting on this stuff for over a year.... and they have yet to be touched. No time like the present

- Lose Weight: I need to be healthier point blank.

I think a list of four items is a good way to start. I wouldn't want to overwhelm myself

Magnetic Chalkboard

A magnetic chalkboard? Genius!? A pretty framed magnetic chalkboard, even better! Sure I could have purchased one from a flea market, but what's the fun in that? Probably not very cost efficient either, those booth people have to make a living right?!? It was pretty easy to make. The hard part was probably finding the perfect frame which I did at the salvation army (duh? where else?!) My frame was 24x30 and it cost me $11....yes eleven dollars the huge wooden frame & tax free.

This was exactly the kind of frame I was looking for; detailed, huge, & cheap

 Some of the products we used

Since I only had a frame, we had to buy a piece of wood & a sheet of galvanized steel. Let me tell you it took me forever to find that sheet of steel; it was in the plumbing section under large metal pipes. Yes, it has to be galvanized steel so magnets will stick. The length needed to be shortened a bit; cut the wood at the home improvement store & we cut the steel ourselves. Glued the two pieces together using Loctite spray adhesive (3) then primed it with Bulls Eye 123 primer for all surfaces (2)

We patiently waited for 30 minutes to pass... ok an hour to be on the safe side. Then we hit the board with Rustoleum chalk paint (4)

Here's the frame primed (2) then sprayed with Valspar laquer gloss in black (1). I don't think you necessarily need laquer gloss, it was just something we had for another project.

 We stapled the board in the frame. I'm sure we could of nailed it in, but we made do with what we had which was a staple gun. On the bottom left corner is a pretty magnetic bin (bought from Marshalls) to hold chalk & maybe whatever junk that will find it's way in there

My dream chalkboard in all it's glory. Another project crossed off my imaginary DIY list. It came out so well, my bf wants to make more to sell. So we can be those booth people tryna make a living.

old rickety treasures

Somewhere along the way I became obsessed with going to the thrift store. Living in LA there's a large abundance of shops to choose from. The one place I visit almost every other day is the Salvation Army. While most people go for the clothes I go for furniture & other decor goods. I'm fortunate enough to work near a Salvation Army Antique shop, which is exactly what it sounds like all the old rickety good stuff is usually ends up here. While the rest of the shop doesn't really seem "antique" some of the furniture certainly is. This past Friday I was lucky enough to to able stop by in the afternoon. This little treasure was hidden in the corner under some frames, originally $49.50.... but it was 50% OFF that day! Which made it $24.25 of course I had to have it. I thought my partner was going to kill me when he found out I bought another project piece. To my surpise he was impressed with my find and can't wait to work on it too.

Look at the details on the leg and the bottom of the chest. It's cute as is, but it doesn't really match my home. Now I'm trying to figure out what to color to paint it. We're changing the knobs for sure though.

Here's a project that we're working on right now. This is our tester chair so we're trying out different techniques/ colors/ fabrics. The chair was dirt cheap if we mess up, no biggy.

Who Says?!?

...my nail polish has to match. I was messing around testing out some colors trying to see which one to use. When I decided I liked the color combo I had going on. Reminds my of the Sunset drink @ Roscoe's Chicken & waffles.... if you don't know what I'm talking I feel sorry for you. You're missing out! Back to my manicure. Sorry it looks so messy I wasn't planning on keeping it. Luckily (or maybe unluckily) my manicures don't last long because of work so perfection isn't necessary.

In case your curious about the colors

(left to right)

pointer: essie - geranium

middle: essie - e-nuf is e-nuf

ring: revlon - siren

Thumb & pinky: essie- sand tropez

My sister and I love our nail polish. She loves her designs & I love my colors. For bright colors I like the vibrancy of essie polishes. For the darker colors I love my OPI. I've never purchased any polish at full retail price. Ulta coupons are our friends, $5 off $10 is my best friend. Nail supply stores have great mark-downs or cheap alternatives.